WE KEEP EACH OTHER SAFE
Radical Talismans are precious objects for precious information. Each talisman contains a programmable NFC tag that can store information, and be scanned by a phone. Community members can carry these small stones with them, and use them to share sensitive information with one another. Each Radical Talisman kit comes with five stones, each with its own pattern.
Stones come pre-programmed with links and resources, but they are meant to be customized and tailored to your location and community — what do your people need? Phone numbers? Maps? Recipes? Each talisman can be reprogrammed to contain whatever information you might want to share with each other. Every Radical Talisman kit comes with a zine explaining how to recode the tags.
In an era of increased surveillance and repression, we must find ways to share and connect with one another. We keep each other safe.
Below you will find resources on digital privacy and surveillance that might inform how you choose to reprogram your precious little stones.
Note: There is no foolproof way to share things digitally without some risk of surveillance. Radical talismans are meant to offer an in person way of trading precious information — by offering these objects to scan we are seeing one another face to face, and evaluating our needs, risks, and community in real time. But all phones can be tracked, links can be compromised, digital tools can be surveilled. Be aware of your threat model and act accordingly. Radical talismans work as part of a community, not in place of one.
Download the Radical Talismans Zine here.
WANT SOME?
If you're interested in using these and want a little kit (five stones and a zine) send me a note on Signal.
RESOURCES
This list is not exhaustive and was created by consulting organizations leading the way on healthcare, privacy, and trans rights such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Trans Lifeline and the Trans Journalist Association.
Crisis Lines
- US (877) 565-8860 (Trans Lifeline Hotline)
- Canada (877) 330-6366 (Trans Lifeline Hotline)
- A list of other hotlines & warmlines from Trans Lifeline
Digital Security and Privacy
- Signal (encrypted messaging)
- DeleteMe (remove your information from data brokers)
- How to dox yourself before someone else can (IRE, 2019)
- Another guide on how to evaluate how easy you might be to dox (Access Now, 2020)
- How to spot and remove apps meant to spy on you (TransLifeline)
- How to chose a VPN (Electronic Frontier Foundation)
- Online Violence Response Hub
- Digital Safety Kit (Committee to Protect Journalists)
Healthcare
- A guide to primary care for trans patients (ZocDoc)
- Abolition Centered Care Provider List
- Let’s Talk About It: A Transgender Survivor’s Guide to Accessing Therapy (FORGE)
- Elevated Access (transportation to healthcare you need)
- Dr. Colleen Fagan (provides gender affirming care letters via telehealth)
- QueerDoc (network of doctors who provide gender affirming healthcare)
- Plume (gender affirming healthcare via telehealth)
Government IDs
Mutual Aid
- Find a mutual aid group near you (Mutual Aid hub)
- 100 mutual aid funds supporting trans folks (Them)
- Emergency funds for relocating and supporting trans folks and their families (Human Rights Campaign)
- How to start a mutual aid program (Big Door Brigade)
Misc Other
- 12 things you can do instead of calling the police
- The 5 D's of bystander training (Right to Be)
- Black & Pink penpal program
- NARCAN training (find a local one near you)